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Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

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Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#241
post #172

I think a more fundamental problem is a single private company having a near-monopoly on various public communication channels, and having financial interests in various global dictatorships. The Founding Fathers could not have predicted this. Google's "We're a private company" get-out-jail-free card cannot continue to apply.

We have loads of communication channel alternatives. People freely choose google and should be allowed to continue freely choosing whatever platform they please. The idea that some governing body can better choose my communication platform for my personal needs than I can for myself doesn't seem logical from my point of view.

I don’t think it’s about a governing body making that decision for you.

If all the policies and processes around censorship were laid out in the open for that to be considered when weighing up the options, people would be able to make more informed choices.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's been dropped since 2018. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-dont-be-evil/2540...

Did you read the article you linked? It's no longer prefacing the code of conduct, but it's still included in it. They moved it from the opening statement to the closing statement. Despite four comments now incorrectly posting otherwise, it has never once been removed from the code of conduct.

"And remember… don’t be evil" the way its written at the end of the code really feels like a sarcastic wink, like "don't be evil" is a joke that they know they don't actually follow.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#243

its really sad to see Google kowtow to China. i guess money trump everything. a free, open and democratic China is Taiwan. you can see it by Taiwan's handling of covid 19. they are open about their cases, allowed press to ask unlimited questions and show everything to Taiwanese and not conceal any info. its sad that Western companies love money more than the Western values that they always talk about. "Don't be evil"

Uh... western companies do a ton of business with Taiwan. The best semiconductor manufacterer in the world is Taiwanese, for goodness sake.

The problem here is not that Taiwan is being ignored. In fact it's got nothing to do with Taiwan at all.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#244
post #225

What an infantile understanding of the issue. The reason that hate speech creates outrage is because it exists to communicate inhuman hatred of others for their immutable characteristics. The reason that sites like YouTube don't tolerate it isn't that they share in the outrage - it's that they rely entirely on advertisers to keep their bottom line positive, and advertisers aren't going to pay to be associated with ha…

I don't agree it can be easily identified by automated moderation tools.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#245
I can't fathom how private companies still think that they can make the CCP happy AND their western customers.

The CCP holds values that are completely untenable to western values. As time goes on, companies who don't know this will lose massive brand value in the western world.

The NBA has managed to tight rope this so far, but I doubt they can hold it together for very much longer. The CCP is still calling for the Houston Rockets GM to be fired 10 months after he tweeted vague support for the Hong Kong Democracy movement. They still refuse to show NBA games domestically because of it.

One vague tweet in support of democracy.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow. It's almost like the missions of popular websites fall in line with protecting individuals against government-sponsored attacks on whistleblowers. Witness protection isn't some flashy thing in movies. It's real and society benefits from it.

1. I imagine state actors have better information than Wikipedia editors. 2. Leaving that aside, why permanently ban those who make such contributions to Wikipedia?

Are most people who repeatedly try to edit Wikipedia with disallowed content banned?

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#247
post #63

Youtube is in a tough spot. They will be blamed: - if they don't take down speech some consider hateful - if they take down speech some do not consider hateful 共匪 is seen as an insult by a group, but others do not. If Youtube bans nothing, then hate speech thrives and they get bad PR. If Youtube bans anything anyone flags as hate speech, then they become de facto as censorship agents for foreign powers. Anything crit…

Fundamentally, this is the issue with international corporations in the speech realm. People will believe and argue they shouldn't be subject to a given country's laws or have to apply that law globally, but in a real world sense, they must follow all of the laws of any country they want to operate in, no matter how ridiculous or unfair they might feel. Because if you aren't obeying a country's laws, they'll shut you…

[deleted]

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#248

Google & YouTube employees on HN: how do you justify still working at this company? Enough of the cognitive dissonance. Face your choices and tell me how you square yourself with them. For shame.

It doesn't have to be "cognitive dissonance". They simply might not share your political views.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#249
post #2

Try commenting 共匪 on any youtube video, the comment will be deleted after ~15 seconds

Just tried it on a video about WHO and Bruce Alyward. It's still up after 6 minutes. Either we're inundating their censor bot, it's been shadowbanned, or Google has stopped under the flak. I'll keep checking later.

Re: Google deletes “communist bandits” from comments on Youtube

#250
post #63

Youtube is in a tough spot. They will be blamed: - if they don't take down speech some consider hateful - if they take down speech some do not consider hateful 共匪 is seen as an insult by a group, but others do not. If Youtube bans nothing, then hate speech thrives and they get bad PR. If Youtube bans anything anyone flags as hate speech, then they become de facto as censorship agents for foreign powers. Anything crit…

> 共匪 is seen as an insult by a group, but others do not This is where the legal concept of protected classes may be helpful. They're sets of attributes society has deemed one cannot discriminate against. That tends to line up well with said society's line between insulting and hateful. As a legal definition, these class definitions tend to be precise. That makes them convenient for exporting. Notably, political affil…

However, political affiliation is a protected class in other countries where YouTube operates. It's hard to strike a balance on this I fear.
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